Our Staff

Agnes Wilcox, Founding Artistic Director (1947-2017)Agnes Wilcox held a B.A. in Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an M.A. in English from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, and an M.F.A. in Directing from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She taught at New York University, the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center (Waterford, Connecticut), Webster University (St. Louis), and Washington University in St. Louis, where she was an adjunct faculty member for the last nineteen years. Agnes was a member of Equity, SAG and AFTRA. Agnes retired from Prison Performing Arts in 2016 and served as artistic director at Bread & Roses of Missouri at the time of her passing.

Christopher Limber, Artistic DirectorChris Limber is a professional director and actor, a published playwright, poet and composer/lyricist, and has contributed educationally or artistically to many major St. Louis arts institutions, including Prison Performing Arts — most recently co-directing Coming Home at the Missouri Eastern Correctional Center in Pacific, Missouri — The Rep, Opera Theatre, COCA, and Shakespeare Festival St. Louis. Limber has taught actors of all ages at every major educational institution in St. Louis, including COCA, Saint Louis University, University of Missouri in St. Louis, Washington University in St. Louis, and Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville. He has also taught workshops and teacher training at more than 100 middle, high and elementary schools throughout Missouri and Illinois A proud 35-year member of the Actors’ Equity Association and the Dramatists’ Guild, Limber studied English literature and Shakespeare at Exeter College – University of Oxford, England, holds a BFA in Acting from the State University of New York at Purchase, and is a graduate of the Community Artists Training offered through the Regional Arts Commission in St. Louis.chris.limber@prisonartsstl.org

Rachel Tibbetts, Director of Youth ProgramsRachel Tibbetts has worked in arts education since 2000 as an Education Associate and Assistant Director of Education at the Delaware Theatre Company in Wilmington; and Arts Partners Program Administrator and Assistant Arts Education Director at Young Audiences of St. Louis. She received her B.A. in Theatre from Oklahoma State University. Rachel graduated from the 2006-2007 Community Arts Training Institute at the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission. Rachel is a member of the Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble, a St. Louis area based professional theatre company.rachel@prisonartsstl.org

Jaclyn Oden-Peace, Administrative/Artistic InternJaclyn is a full time intern generously sponsored by the National Benevolent Association of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ.) She is from Houston, TX but resides here at the XPLOR House at Union Avenue Christian Church. Jaclyn is working for PPA through June of 2019. Jaclyn comes to PPA via the XPLOR program from her interest in social services. These opportunities offer a year of formative work in a social justice and arts organization to help her discern possible future directions. Prior PPA and XPLOR, Jaclyn worked over two years as a dog specialist at a grooming, boarding, and daycare pet facility while attending Texas State University and San Jacinto Community College. She hopes to clarify her professional interests through this program knowing her main interests have been in Music and Social Work. Her home city of Houston has one of the highest human trafficking rates which has brought the issue of helping others to her attention. She enjoys work that engages the Arts and has a gift for music, training in voice and piano, and has performed with multiple dance teams. jaclyn@prisonartsstl.org